Wednesday, October 29, 2008

This is really an intense period for everybody at Juventus. In sporting terms, with games coming one after the other. But also at Club level. Between the two games against Real Madrid and Torino and the two against Bologna and Roma, Juventus' management have been busy with one of their institutional events: the annual Share Holders’ Assembly, which took place today at the FIAT Historical Centre in Turin.

After the meeting, Giovanni Cobolli Gigli and Jean-Claude Blanc took part in the traditional press conference where they spoke about the current situation of the team and the Club, also touching on one of the hot topics on everybody's lips, i.e. the new stadium.

The two wins against Real Madrid and Torino have brought relief to the squad and Claudio Ranieri and allowed the Bianconeri to get back in contention, also taking advantage of the other rivals' results:

"This is no time to make any programme – Cobolli Gigli declared -, but simply to get back in a position where it's possible to aim for the title. Nothing is lost, we come from a good week and the League is balanced, thanks to many surprise teams".

The good week everyone at the Club has just lived was remarked upon by Jean-Claude Blanc too: "Everything changes quickly, eight days ago we were all gloomy, even if everybody was eager to turn the situation around: exactly the opposite of what we lived two days ago. In any case we had really wanted to win at Napoli as well".

The Managing Director has a clear schedule in mind in view of the rest of the season. "At the moment, the plan is to get back almost all of our injured players within the next 15 days. Our priority is to have a large squad again. Only after we've recovered everyone, we'll be able to evaluate fully how strong this squad really is and then decide if we need to get anyone else in January's transfer market".

But the squad isn't the only “hot” topic of late: there is also the new Stadium. The new facility's project is going well and the last approval by the Turin Council is another step forward before work begins. Blanc concluded:

"Destruction of the old Stadium will begin in three weeks' time, and then another phase of the works will begin in January when we'll get our authorizations to build. The costs of this new facility will rest upon three foundations: the agreement with SportFive, the commercial business part and debts, for which we're in talks with Sport Credit too".